Posted on: September 24, 2007 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Sham 69 – Hersham Boys / 2006 MVD / 74 Minutes / http://www.mvdb2b.com /

Now this is what I want when I see a concert DVD. There are cameras that are on tracks and gradual changes between the different cameras, all done within the first two minutes of the concert. During the first track of the concert, “What Have We Got”, Sham 69 shows that they still have it.

The reason why individuals listen is was because their music was furious and hard; the reason why others listened in is because of the awkward pauses that are present in the track. The band does nt bullshit their listeners, as in the twenty-one tracks of “Hersham Boys”, all the singles that one comes to expect from the band are present. The title track is played second, but other songs are later; “Angels With Dirty Faces”, “Hurry Up Harry”, “If The Kids Are United”, and “You’re A Better Man Than I” all follow. The crowd is strong but they are not nearly as loud as they were during The Toy Dolls’ “Our Lost DVD?”. However, this is not to say that the music that Sham 69 plays here is any less impressive than it was when the records first hit shops.

All the energy and passion that Sham 69 is known for is present on this video. The one thing that I would love to change about this DVD is that each of the songs is prefaced by a few minutes explaining the inspiration for the song. If the two tracks could be divided so that there would be perhaps an option to watch either the interview or the live video, the momentum would not be as jarred as broken as it is on this DVD. I am sure individuals will argue with me whether this should be done, but perhaps if there were two different programs put on the DVD;; one as it is now and one in which the two streams are divided – this problem could be headed off. The tracks that might not have been the biggest hits for Sham 69 are nice to her, and individuals have to hear a number of them between the band’s biggest hits. The hits are not just stuck at the end of the DVD, being “encores”. The band may look a lot different than they did all those years ago, but when it comes to the music that they play, very little has changed. If anything, the sound is more full and the compositions are more dense than they were on the original album. Check out their “September The Eleventh” to hear how they have grown as a band over the last few decades; this was only the second time that they had played it when this DVD came out (2003). This DVD also works as a greatest hits for anyone that would like to get into the band; “Hersham Boys” is a DVD that has something for everyone and showcases one of the best punk bands of all time. Give it a go if you can scratch together the dough.

Rating: 7.4/10

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